As a leading destination management organization, our mission is to collaborate with tourism businesses in the Central Okanagan to create a tourism economy that is sustainable and welcoming for visitors and residents. Four strategic pillars—seasonality, destination management, internal excellence, and external engagement—guide our organization's work as we support and market the region. Below, you'll find an overview of our team's work during the second quarter of the year, as it aligns with the four pillars. 


Seasonality: Establishing Kelowna and the Central Okanagan as a Four-Season Travel Destination

CPL Vancouver FC vs Cavalry FC Soccer Football
On Tour Series game - Vancouver FC vs. Calvary FC. Image credit: Vancouver FC - Beau Chevalier

  • Delivered over 51M advertising impressions across digital ads and video, social media, and content partnerships and earned an added (bonus) value of nearly $40K. 
  • Welcomed Canadian Premier League to Kelowna for the first game in its "On Tour" Series, which took place at the Apple Bowl on June 16, with record attendance at the venue of 6,000 soccer fans. 
  • Attended the 2024 Travel Media Association of Canada Conference and met one-on-one with over 20 key media members, including writers from the Vancouver Sun, Toronto Star, Post Media, Lonely Planet, and various bloggers across Canada.
  • Presented to 20 associates at ConferenceDirect's Annual Partner Meeting in Arlington, TX, and met with 30 associates at HelmsBriscoe Annual Business Conference in Las Vegas, NV, to showcase Kelowna as a business events' destination of choice.
  • Attended the inaugural INNOVATEWest Conference in Vancouver alongside OKGo campaign partners to connect with tech, enterprise, and corporate leaders.
  • Hosted client events in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary to showcase Kelowna's offerings to business event professionals in each market. 
  • Announced the five local creators collaborating with our team for the 2024 #exploreKelowna Creator Program11. The initial Creator Instagram posts, which highlight 18 local businesses in total, have achieved a combined:
    • Reach of 110,000
    • 170,000 plays
    • 7,000 interactions
    • 2,100 shares


Destination Management: Fostering Sustainable Growth of the Destination

Lake Country Visitor Services Team - Reid and David
Lake Country Mobile Visitor Services


Internal Excellence: Ensuring Organizational Excellence 

Community & Visitor Engagement Activations

  • Launched our new Chatbot, KAITI (Kelowna Artificial Intelligence Tourism Information), which can help answer general tourism-related questions about Kelowna and the Central Okanagan. In 2023, our Community & Visitor Engagement team had nearly 2,000 conversations with people via LiveChat; we have set a conservative goal of increasing this number by 25% with the implementation of KAITI.
  • Celebrated National Indigenous History Month with an on-site activation at the KVC to showcase the work of local artisan, Nancy Luis, of Aboriginal Creeations and Indigenous Artists, Greta Reid, and Justine Allison.
  • Welcomed several new members to our Community & Visitor Engagement team in preparation for the busy summer travel season.


External Engagement: Engaging Partners and External Stakeholders to Grow the Visitor Economy

Downtown Kelowna After 5 - June 2024
Downtown Kelowna After 5 Event

  • Partnered with West Kelowna and the District of Lake Country, as part of Destination BC's (DBC) Co-op Program, to capture content for a Central Okanagan campaign supporting and encouraging late summer visitation; advertising for the campaign will take place through August. 
  • Launched the second year of Travelling Out in the Okanagan (TOTO), a partnership between Tourism Kelowna, Tourism Kamloops, Tourism Vernon, Visit Penticton, and Destination Osoyoos, with support from DBC, to spread the word about safe and welcoming travel experiences in the region.
  • Supported Kelowna Pride as a destination partner and welcomed approximately 200 attendees to our booth at the Kelowna Pride Festival.
  • Revamped the #exploreKelowna Mobile Pass program to update existing passes and launch new passes, encouraging and enticing visitors and locals to support area businesses.
  • Co-hosted a Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) celebration with Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort to celebrate business events, which make up 40% of all tourism spending in Canada.
  • Partnered with the Downtown Kelowna Association to host Downtown After 5, with an added focus on celebrating 2025 Montana's Brier and Country Music Week 2025. Close to 300 people attended the event. 


To learn more about our team's strategic priorities and key initiatives, contact: